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Find out how to counter the reworked Mordekaiser
League of Legends patch 9.12 is here, bringing with it a newly updated and reworked Mordekaiser. Here's how to counter him on the Rift.
Mordekaiser is back and he's stronger than ever. The Iron Revenant has had a complete overhaul in League of Legends patch 9.12, with a shiny visual update and new, improved kit.
In the right hands, he's a menace. He currently sits at the top of the tables with a 53 percent win rate, according to lolalytics – one of the absolute highest in the game. If you're not too careful, he has the ability to single-handedly take over your game of solo queue. Luckily, he's not without his weaknesses however. We've broken down how you can counter him, so you know how to prepare yourself when facing him on the Rift.
Who is Mordekaiser?
The reworked Mordekaiser is primarily a top lane champion, but he does surprisingly well in mid. We've come accustomed to him as a rare pocket pick, plagued with bugs and lacking any real value. He had his moments throughout the years, but he always eventually sunk back into obscurity.
Now, it's a different story. The reworked champion is a heavy-hitter that can be difficult to handle. He deals tons of damage, has insanely good AoE, is tanky and has the tools destroy you in a 1v1. He's no joke.
He's not particularly tricky to play, either. That means, whatever rank you may be, Mordekaiser will be a threat to your League Points. If you let him walk all over you in lane and allow him to step into the late game with a substantial lead – and with a couple of items under his belt – you might as well bow down and surrender.
If you play intelligently, though, you should be able to stop Mordekaiser before it's too late. Granted, he's intimidating, with his huge mace and large health pool, but that doesn't mean he's invincible. He's a champion that can easily be exploited, despite his prowess.
Mordekaiser’s Lord skin
© Riot Games
Countering The Iron Revenant
Now that you know a little bit about the new Mordekaiser, let's discuss how you can counter him. Although he's at his most powerful state in the later stages of the game, he still has kill potential in the laning phase and mid game. That doesn't mean he'll dominate you, though. He can easily be out-ranged, outgunned and forced to play more of a passive role. Mordekaiser is a very predictable champion and if you go into the match with the early game lead, it can be easy to take advantage of him.
The laning phase
Mordekaiser has long cooldowns on his abilities. At level one, he'll have to wait a total of 24 seconds to cast his Death's Grasp (E) again. That means, if you’re a champion with a ranged advance, such as Jayce or Neeko, you'll only have to worry about him every 30 seconds. In the late game it's a different story, but forget about that for now.
As for Mordekaiser's Obliterate (Q) (his main damage dealing ability), its cooldown isn't quite as long, but its range is fairly minimal. Once you get used to playing against him, it'll be easy to anticipate. You should be able to bait him into using his abilities prematurely and if you can catch him off guard, without Q or E to his disposal, you can damage him freely.
You shouldn't be afraid to trade with Mordekasier. If you know you won't be sucked into the minion wave and take a considerable chunk of damage, or fall victim to a gank, by all means attack him. If it's too much of a risk, though, farm up and bide your time.
You should aim to lane against Mordekaiser at a safe distance. If you're a melee champion, this might not be an option, but if you have any sort of range, stay away from him when farming. He'll have to use his Flash + E combo to engage and he'll more than likely be forced to rely on his jungler for intervention. If you can freeze your lane and coax him into overextending, he'll be extremely susceptible to ganks.
The mid-to-late game
As the game progresses and Mordekaiser unlocks his ultimate ability, the dynamic of the matchup changes. You'll still probably have to face him in lane now and then, but in most cases, you'll meet him in the midst of a skirmish. If he comes across you while splitpushing, or he targets you in a team fight, there are a few things to consider. It depends on his items, but he should have the advance in a 1v1 situation. His ultimate isolates you and steals away a portion of your stats, giving him the upper hand. If you're miles ahead and think you can beat him, then do so, but if you're unsure, then you should play the defensive approach.
Mordekaiser is an immobile champion. He has a small speed bonus, but other than that it takes him a while to get around. If you're a champion with a dash, or a displacement ability, you can try avoiding him altogether. Riven and Jax would work wonders, for example. You can easily stun Mordekaiser and avoid as much damage as possible. If he can't catch up to you, his ultimate will be wasted and he'll be frustrated for it. You should be able to run around him in circles, or at least avoid him until the seven seconds are up. The Death Realm might seem scary, but if you stay cool and use your kit to your advance, you'll be just fine.
If you don't have any way to escape, you could try staying out of his range and he'll be forced to reluctantly ultimate a different target. You have to be up close and personal for him to target you with Realm of Death and it has a 0.5-second cast time, so you should have time to stop him in his tracks, or at least flash away if the worst comes to the worst.
Mordekaiser’s Dragon Knight skin
© Riot Games
Summing up the new Mordekaiser
Mordekaiser is very much an overtuned champion. He's incredibly strong for the time being, but without his insane numbers and devastating damage, he doesn't have much to show for himself.
At the moment, though, he's a beast. To tame him, you have to learn to tiptoe around him with caution. If you can avoid Mordekasier, or prevent him from wreaking havoc, he should be quite easily bested. It might take camping him in the laning phase, or focusing him down in a team fight, but if that's what it takes, it's well worth the task. Best of luck, Summoner. Stay vigilant.
